rant 4: James Bond and British Imperialism

 For my group project I decided to focus on how James Bond has been a symbol for declining British imperialism since his creation. In the original books Bond was portrayed as almost an comedic parody of what was expected of a spy. Since his film debut Bond has now been the quintessential definition of what a spy is. Ever since WWII England suffered a series of defeats including losing most of their foreign territories and the humiliating Suez incident. Bond was a way for England to hold on to it’s former glory. Bond represents the ideal English gentlemen: suave, charming, intelligent, handsome, and powerful. Bond also represented England’s technological superiority over the rest of the world. In the years since Bonds inception England was slowly falling behind as a technological superpower, Bond was a way to portray England as still being technologically relevant. As stated in the images of popular film moodle article, technology still stood a backseat to the charming and resourceful hero of Bond. All of the films showed that the class and elegance of the English gentleman is superior to the overwhelming technological advantages used by Bond(England’s) enemies. Bond also expresses the superiority of capitalism over communism, such as when Goldfinger has bond  helplessly tied to a bed and he is going to use his gold melting laser to kill bond. Bond escapes the trap by using coin to reflect the lasers beam to cut his shackles and free himself. This is a metaphor for however the power of the purse can solve virtually all of life’s problems. Another important element relates to Fiske’s article of television culture, specifically his third level of code ideology. The bond films give a coded message of English superiority. Compared to the other spies and military types bond was always show as the more intelligent, masculine and efficient.   There are several subtle hints throughout the film to promote the idea of British superiority, such as bond always drives the stylish English car: the ashton marton. Another ideological point the film serves is the superiority of the Anglo-Saxon ethnicity. The films also tries to promote that England is the greatest western nation. An example is that in the film all of the American soldiers were powerless without the support and resources of the power English Bond.As noted in Fiske’s article, the character that is the least likely to be killed is the middle or classless white male in their physical prime. Since all of the bond’s meet this criteria, the film already implicitly implies that the White bond may get hurt but will never die. Bond himself is meant to appeal to the white male western, and to promote the views of the west. Anytime bond is not in his native England, the location he’s is in is portrayed as exotic, foreign and to a subtle degree abnormal.The best example was the trailer that was shown in class of the next Bond film: You Only Live Twice. In the preview bond when to Japan, in this film the Japanese people and culture were stereotyped in a way that made them seem abnormal and that the western Bond appear to be the definitive cultural norm. AI decided to go first in order to segue my presentation into the discussion on orientalism. I personally was disappointed that the class wasn't as involved with my question of:  is it possible when creating a work of pop culture to distance your personal beliefs and preferences. Or will subtle and not-so-subtle ideological messages always slip through the cracks and show the creators personal ideology. It was unfortunate that the class brushed off most of our questions. Admittedly many of us  weren't prepared and didn't plan our time well. However, that is no excuse for the class's lack of participation. Overall I believe that my presentation formed the foundation for the rest of my groups presentation.

Fiske, John, Television Culture, Chapter 9

Goldman, Steven L.

Images if Technology in Popular Films: Discussion and Filmography

Science, Technology, and Human Values

Volume 14 No. 3 Summer

Sage Publications http://www.jstor.org/stable/689842.

rant 3: 80s cartoon modern updates

In these past few years a trend in movies and TV has been rising, the resurrection of many popular shows from the nineteen eighties.Among the shows to have been revived in form or another include: transformers, G.I. Joe, He-Nan, Thunder Cats, and Voltron to name a few. Before 80s shows are described in detail, examination of past animation is required.Ever since the birth of animated cartoons, it could be said that each decade belonged to a different type of cartoon. The 1930s-60s was dominated by a major 3way tie between Disney,Warner Brothers, and MGM. In the 1960s the Ca new company took center stage in the animation, world, the studio of Hanna-Barbera. Hanna-Barbera cartoons were different from the older cartoons because of the fact they were more contemporary than their earlier counterparts. Hanna-Barbera cartoons offered a much wider variety of programs, and used modern music and guest stars to made the audience able to identify more with these cartoons than other cartoon studios. Despite all the differences between the four mentioned studies they each share one key factor: predictability.  No matter which show from which studio, the general plot premise remained the same.  For the earlier cartoons the formula was as follows: pluck anthropomorphic animal is attacked by an unintelligent opponent whose own stupidity, pride, impatience or some other character flaw allows them to be outwitted and humiliated by the animal. For Hanna-Barbera the formula was similarly about either a pair of anthropomorphic creatures in a contemporary setting, or accompanying teens in an effort to solve mysteries. While originally each company was hailed as genus and orginal, they eventually stagnated and viewers begna to become bored. In fact the Hanna-Barbera flagship show Scooby-Doo has become synonymous with repetition.
However in the 1980s things changed, the shift of animation had a radical shift from focusing on comedy to action. This shift possibly stems from the radical increase in action in comics and advent of the modern action hero film. Another thing which made these shows so appealing was the individuality of the character. Prior to the eighties all of the characters from the earlier companies were cut from the exact same cookie cutter mold, and were placed in only slightly different situations. However these newer shows featured completely different characters each facing their own unique sets of challenges. Not only were the characters outwardly differently they also had differing personality's. The fact each of these characters were so completely different from each other made it possible for the viewer to relate to the characters on a level not possible with earlier characters.

The big question of why the sudden reemergence of these beloved shows can be attributed to one or more of several factors. The first factor could simply TV producers are lazy. It has been argued now for some time that originality in Hollywood is dead, and that producers and directors are simply clinging on to whatever fad catches the viewing audience at any given time. Thew revival of 80s shows could be argued that the Hollywood big shot's are just fluffing old popular shows simply to try make an quick buck without spending any real creative effort. Another reason could be merchandising. Besides the shows themselves, a plethora of merchandise was offered with each show. The greatest merchandise offered was the action figure. Action figures allowed viewers to emulate, recreate, and create stories based off their favorite shows. The entire advent of actions figures was established by the success of many of the shows. Now with actions figures becoming collectable commodities, the 80s show may be brought back to establish a way to tie in merchandise to a once popular venue. The final reason why these shows are being revived is the fact there is a certain timelessness to the plots of the shows. Compared to old shows which had no plots, the shows of the 80s had shows with complex backstories which kept viewers engaged by making keep track of what was going on. During the airing of these shows, the shows established fascinating stories in exotic lands. Even after the shows themselves stopped airing, a firm world was established. Now many of these stories are being revived by people wishing to add their own creative touch to previously established masterpieces. They are creating modern homages to classic stories. Whatever the reason these shows are being revived for, one thing is for certain. Now a new generation can experience the sense of wonder that children felt when the first saw these shows during the 1980's. This is Corey Weiss saying good night and have a pleasant tomorrow.